Nurse gets 4 years prison, loses license for swapping pain meds with saline

Former registered nurse Melissa Chacona, of Fuquay-Varina, N.C., was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for tampering with surgery patients’ painkillers, the Justice Department said May 22.

Advertisement

In early 2019, Ms. Chacona, 45, who worked in a Raleigh-area surgical practice, replaced medication from vials of fentanyl, morphine and meperidine, with saline, the department said. She compromised at least 78 vials, many of which were left unsterile.

The tampered vials contained less than 15 percent of the original volume of medication, the department said.

Ms. Chacona permanently surrendered her nursing license as part of a plea agreement. She was previously convicted at the state level earlier in her career for similar charges, the department said.

At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.

Register to Attend Webinar

Caring for the caregivers: How health systems are building benefits strategies with mental health at the core

Wednesday, August 12
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT

Presenters: Mark DeFee, Lyra HealthDeborah Visconi, Bergen New Bridge Medical CenterSuneel Kumar Parvathareddy, MD, Advocate/Atrium Health Wilkes Medical CenterEric Parmenter, Quantum HealthMary Beth Lardazabal, DO, DFAPA, Allina Health

Advertisement

Next Up in Addiction Treatment

Advertisement

Comments are closed.